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NHS Crisis: Seven Myths About The National Health Service

The NHS Is In Crisis: We Bust Seven Myths About Why
George Bowden
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The news that the NHS is in the "worst financial crisis for a generation" with predictions of a £2 billion deficit has prompted fresh waves of scrutiny of the government and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The figure is more than the £820 million overspend for the entire previous year, the Press Association reported.

It has been suggested that the deficit among the trusts could top £2 billion for the whole of the current financial year.

Regulator Monitor has warned the NHS is "under massive pressure" and cannot afford to go on as it is, but alongside the genuine concerns for the service's finances, many myths continue to do the rounds...

7 Myths About The NHS
People Die If They're Admitted At The Weekend(01 of07)
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Raw statistics suggest this myth is true. Deaths in the NHS rise amongst those admitted at the weekend.

Researchers monitored patterns across the NHS in England over one year. But the relative figures means that there are only about two extra deaths for every 1,000 people admitted on a weekend compared to a week day.

And now senior doctors have said the "spin" of the stats have put vulnerable people off seeking treatment -- even those about to give birth -- and who would benefit from immediate medical care.

And herein lies a possible explanation: those admitted on the weekend may have problems so serious that waiting until a weekday is not possible -- and were therefore more likely to pass away in the first place. (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
There Are Too Many Managers(02 of07)
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The number of managers that aren't frontline medical staff is often thought to be "too high". These staff often command high salaries, and so make easy pickings for the press to highlight NHS excess.

But in fact, the NHS Confederation says that fewer than 3% of NHS staff are managers, whereas the equivalent figure in the private sector is 10%.

And some have argued that managers are crucial to ensuring medical staff continue to treat patients rather than complete paperwork. (credit:Nikki Bidgood via Getty Images)
There's Been No Privatisation(03 of07)
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The idea that there has been no privatisation of the NHS is patently false, says the Nuffield Trust.

Its analysis has shown that at the beginning of the 2010-15 parliament lots of NHS work in community health care, including physiotherapy and other practices, were taken over by private providers.

Nuffield Trust believes that the amount of money going to for-profit companies in community healthcare rose by 76% in just two years - to around £770m. (credit:sturti via Getty Images)
There's Been Massive Privatisation(04 of07)
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But while it's true that there has been privatisation under David Cameron's premiership it's not quite true to say there's been massive amounts of NHS work "given" to the private sector.

Nuffield Trust found that spending on non-NHS providers rose by £500m between 2012/13 and 2013/14. It says that spending on private providers rose in proportion with general spending increases.

Overall, only 6.1 per cent of health service spending (PDF) in 2013/14 went to private companies aiming to make a profit. So that's 94.1% still in NHS hands. (credit:Fuse via Getty Images)
The Public Really Cares About NHS Privatisation(05 of07)
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ComRes, the survey company, found that two-thirds of those polled do not care who provides NHS care - as long as it works.

The public is almost entirely supportive of an NHS free at the point of use, but think this could be delivered via any number of companies (PDF). (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
Health Tourists Are Killing The NHS(06 of07)
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Foreigners' abuse of NHS resources continues to make headlines. But the truth is rather less sensational.

Firstly, "health tourists" is an ambiguous term. For most purposes, it is used to identify those who travel to the UK with express purpose to exploit free NHS treatment -- and those who are regular visitors availing themselves of medical care.

Reports based on statistics around misuse of the NHS often claim to be "unable to estimate" the numbers abusing the system - therefore approximate costs are just that. Approximate.

A widely-reported figure of £2bn costs of health tourists has not stood up to scrutiny either. The true figure is not known, but is unlikely to be anywhere near that amount: £70m to £300m. (credit:sturti via Getty Images)
The NHS Is Really, Really Bad In Wales(07 of07)
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Stories of the disparity in NHS care between England and Wales have highlighted the fractious nature of the health system across UK borders.

Last year, results of the service's 62-day target for the referral of patients to a specialist doctor found 88% of patients in Wales were referred in time -- though just 83.6% did so in England.

But it is true to say that NHS Wales has had problems specific to the country. Results of its 4-hour-wait targets show that patients are more likely to be kept waiting longer than in England. (credit:mtreasure via Getty Images)

SEE ALSO:

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Thousands Demonstrate Against The Government's New Junior Doctor Contract

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